Seven Circles
by xTimexTurnerx
Summary: In present day, Killian and a reluctant Princess Emma try to negate the effects of a dark trade made with Hades. In the past, Emma and her family fight through the seven circles of hell to rescue Killian; but they can't succeed without great sacrifice. This story follows both story lines. CS focus, S 5B theories.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

 _ **Present Day, Enchanted Forest**_

When Captain Hook arrived at the gates of Snow White's kingdom, none of the guards knew what to do. He was a pirate, but absent from the kingdom's wanted list—odd. Was he to be allowed admittance?

Killian watched in amusement as the knights whispered back and forth to each other trying to address the current problem. "Call your Queen, mates," he finally advised. "She'll be able to clear it up."

And so the Queen was called. Killian sat on a nearby rock sharpening his sword as he waited (he enjoyed how nervous it made the scrawny watchmen) and taking occasional swigs of rum. Captain Hook was usually an impatient man, but not today. He waited over a year for this moment: a year of planning, a year of research, a year of pain.

Killian knew Queen Snow White arrived by the sudden squeak of royal armor jumping into a salute. Killian sheathed his sword and dropped into a bow. "Your majesty."

Queen Snow White trained her suspicious eyes on him. "To what do I owe this surprise visit, Captain?"

Killian stood up straight. "No pleasantries then?"

The Queen remained stoic.

"Right. You may recall that I am owed a favor by your family." Killian chose his words carefully, trying to avoid upsetting the Queen.

"Are you referring to the favor granted to you by my dead husband?" Snow said lowly.

Killian winced. "That would be the one, your majesty." In reality, he was owed no such favor. The trade (or curse, as he liked to refer to it) Hades made with Emma instilled fake memories in people to replace old ones. He was the unlucky person chosen to have both sets of memories, the real and the fake. It was like two parallel lives swimming side by side at all times. _This_ fake memory just happened to help Killian. "And I am deeply sorry for your loss." Killian gave another bow. He truly was sorry, more than she could possibly understand.

Snow nodded curtly. "If you had not saved the Kingdom and my family by telling us of Regina's plans to curse our realm and aided in her capture, I would banish you for being so insensitive." Killian noticed for the first time that Queen Snow White's outfit was entirely black; she had not stopped mourning.

"Yes, your majesty," Killian agreed dutifully.

"However, we all do owe you our lives. So what is this favor, Captain?" Her voice was harsher than Killian had ever heard it, and her eyes were colder, more distant. The wave of guilt almost crushed his tongue to the back of this throat. It was all his fault David was dead. Which is why he had to make it right.

"I need an invitation to tonight's ball."

If Queen Snow White was surprised she didn't show it. "And why would that be?"

"There is someone in attendance I need to see." That was close enough to the truth.

She moved a few steps closer to Killian. "Tonight is not just any ball, Captain. Tonight is—"

"Emma's birthday, I know," Killian breathed out quickly before he could stop himself.

Queen Snow White raised her eyebrows and it took Killian a few moments to realize his mistake. "Princess Emma's birthday," he corrected. If he couldn't control himself at the sound of her name, how the bloody hell would he control himself tonight in Emma's presence?

 _Emma doesn't know you exist_ , his nagging brain reminded him.

"I didn't know pirates kept such track of the royal social calendar." The Queen's eyes never left his face. She was searching for deception; thank god she didn't have Emma's super power.

"The legends of your preparations have reached even the most lone sailor's ear, your majesty." Killian took another bow, hoping to hide his face.

"I don't know, and really don't care what your intentions are, Hook." She finally used his moniker, and spat it out like it was something dirty. Killian used all of his self-control to not flinch. "This is a surprisingly easy favor to repay. But if you in any way ruin my daughter's birthday, I will have you thrown in our deepest cell and forgotten. Is that understood?" Her voice was cruel and Killian gave a stiff nod. Her eyes softened for a moment, "Emma has been through enough this year."

 _She didn't know the half of it._

"I completely understand, your majesty. You have my word I shall not interfere with tonight's festivities." Killian had a bad taste in his mouth. He never had knowingly given a false word before, but it was necessary and hopefully she would forgive him at a later date.

Queen Snow White nodded and turned to leave. "Captain, this is a formal affair. Waistcoats and jackets."

Killian chuckled for the first time in months. "Not to worry. Us pirates do know how to clean up well."

He almost thought he heard a low laugh from Queen Snow, but more likely it was the wind rustling a tree.


	2. Chapter One- The Birthday Ball

**CHAPTER ONE- THE BIRTHDAY BALL**

 _ **Present Day, Enchanted Forest**_

For the first time in years, Killian Jones found himself caring about his appearance.

The last time he had given any thought to his looks was his first date with Emma Swan. Which was practically a lifetime away. He still remembered her face when she saw him in modern garb, making the frustrating shopping worth it. Her reaction allowed him to soak up her lean form in a light pink dress; softer and more feminine than he had ever seen her.

 _Focus_ , he reminded himself. He finished with his red waist coat and glanced in the aged Jolly Roger looking glass. He had skipped the eye kohl and replaced his hook with a prosthetic, gloved hand. Tonight he needed to blend in as much as possible.

Killian approached the castle with trepidation. What if the Queen changed her mind? What if she forgot to put his name on the guest list? "Kil—Captain Hook." He said to the castle guard. Killian Jones was a name Mary Margaret knew, not Queen Snow White.

The night nodded once and admitted him to the grounds. When Killian finally reached the ballroom, the splendor took his breath away. He had been to his fair share of balls, but Queen Snow had not spared a single expense for her daughter's night. Decadent food lined the edge of the room, while gold decorations adorned the ceiling and corners. Flower arrangements taller than himself stood at attention throughout the space.

The most beautiful sight in the room was _her_. Months of picturing Emma didn't hold a candle to how incredible she looked tonight. When Killian's eyes landed on her form, the room shrank until it only contained the two of them. Emma was wearing a red dress ( _the_ red dress) she had donned when they traveled through time and space together and crashed a royal ball.

That was the night Emma fell for him. Not matter her protests, when they danced together something had shifted between the two of them, irrevocably.

Killian saw her trapped talking to a dull looking man with thick eyebrows. Emma delicately excused herself from the conversation and exited through a back door. Killian moved stealthily among the crowd to follow her, as if she was a magnet and he an insignificant paperclip.

The air had its first licks of coolness, as autumn was quickly approaching. Emma was leaning against a balcony, fingering a champagne glass. Killian had waited, and dreamt, about this moment since the second Hades' trade took effect.

"Do you often take leave of your own balls?" Killian asked, coming to stand a suitable distance next to her.

"Do you often follow Princesses onto balconies?" She retorted, and Killian couldn't help his grin.

"Only if they look spectacular in red," he said, running his tongue along his bottom lip, a gesture she could not see.

"You could be thrown from the ball for such a forward comment," Emma said back, taking a sip of her drink. Her tone let Killian know he was in danger of no such thing.

Killian turned to face her. "Would you rather I comment on the weather? Or offer you a hundredth birthday wish? What was that last fellow talking about? Should I consult with him for more appropriate topics?"

Emma eyed him critically before cracking a smile. "He was awful."

"So it seemed," Killian added. God, he could stand here forever and look at her.

 _It isn't real,_ his head gently reminded him.

He took a measured step toward Emma. "There's only one way to survive these things, love." He leaned in closer. "Pick a partner who knows what he's doing."

A stupid, small part of him hoped the familiar line in the same setting would trigger Emma's memory; but he knew better than that. And although True Love's Kiss would not, could not, work with Emma's empty memories of their past, it didn't sedate the itch in him to press his lips to hers. He couldn't help the slight fall of disappointment when she said, "Oh? And is that partner you, Mr...?" She paused, waiting for an introduction.

"Captain Killian Jones," he said giving her a slight bow, "at your service."

"Is that partner you, Captain Jones?" her green eyes were alight with a familiar hint of challenge.

"Well I daresay there's only one way to find out," Killian held out his arm and Emma took it. They walked back into the ballroom and made their way to the center of the dance floor.

This had not strictly been part of the plan. Killian was supposed to talk to her in dark corners and balconies, not dance with her in the middle of the damn crowd. He would obviously be linked to her disappearance. But how could he pass on an opportunity to hold her again?

 _Emma, Emma, Emma_. She was familiar as breathing. When they started dancing, the entire room stopped to observe. The guests quickly formed a large circle for the pair and tried to hide their shocked remarks (Was that Princess Emma dancing with a man? Willingly? Was that the trace of a smile?). Killian twirled her around the room effortlessly, and when he dipped her he could smell the same vanilla perfume she had always worn.

At the end of the song, both parties were slightly breathless. "That was…" Killian trailed off.

Emma looked back at him in wonder, but in another blink her eyes hardened. "A one-time thing." She pulled out of Killian's grip. "I'm sorry, Captain Jones, but my dance card for the evening is quite full; I'm sure you understand." And before ascertaining that he did, Emma turned and was across the room.

Killian stood rooted to the spot, but nearly giddy. The old Emma, his Emma, was in there somewhere. He just needed to pull her out.

He let Emma have space for several hours while he made polite small talk with various guests; he couldn't sit brooding in a corner or exhibit any other distinct behavior. That would immediately classify him as a suspect.

Queen Snow White only appeared for several minutes to make necessary contacts and address the party. She disappeared quickly afterward with a distracted look on her face. Killian did not miss Emma's worried glance in her mother's direction.

When couples started to say their good-byes, Killian approached Emma again. He walked toward her with as much confidence as he could muster with his heart hammering in his chest. If Emma ordered guards to take him away… that would be the end of it. A year of pining for nothing.

"I was hoping since your highness had remained stationary for several songs that space on her dance card had opened up?"

Emma turned and glared at him. Killian had chosen this moment strategically. Several guests stood within earshot, meaning Emma couldn't turn down his genuine offer without tales of her callousness spreading throughout the kingdom.

"Why of course, Captain Jones. If you will excuse me," she nodded to her guests and let Killian take her arm.

Once the music picked up she hissed, "Don't know how to take a hint, Captain?" They took their first steps around the floor, gliding with the same fluidity as before.

"And what hint may that be, Princess?" He stopped himself from laughing when Emma flinched at the mention of her title. Some things, no matter how deadly a curse, never changed.

"The hint that I did NOT what to dance with you again." Killian pulled her closer, as the routine called for.

"That wasn't the hint I got at all. I got the hint that you were quite eager to dance again, which was a bit surprising and frightening so you needed to disengage." Killian spun Emma away from himself before pulling her back. "You're a bit of an open book to me, love."

Emma's face was coolly indifferent, but he could feel her palms start to sweat. "All that from a rejection? Tell me Captain, do you often read too deeply into things to protect your ego?"

Killian dipped her, and there it was again—her intoxicating scent. He wanted to press his lips to the delicate column of her neck and worry his teeth against her skin until it turned pink. He wanted to mark her as his. "Never crossed my mind, love," he said and with a great effort, pulled her back up to be level once more. Their torsos were a few breaths away from contact.

"I recognize walls when I see them. I would be honored if you gave me a real chance to climb yours, because I think you are incredible, your majesty." The dance was finishing its final steps. Emma's eyes lost all hint of annoyance and connected with Killian's, he could hear her expel a surprised breath at his forward honesty.

The song finished and the remaining guests clapped feverishly. Emma leaned in and kissed Killian's cheek. "Meet me by the apple tree in an hour." She pulled back and curtsied toward Killian. He bowed and tried to keep his face controlled.

All of _that_ had definitely not been part of his plan.

* * *

Killian wanted to sit underneath the apple tree and look wholly detached. Instead, he was pacing and anxious.

The original plan had been to have a few pleasant conversations with Emma in dark corners or abandoned balconies to build a slight amount of trust. Therefore, when Killian said goodbye to her alone, this would not seem odd. Then, he could use the poppy dust (which had taken one nasty encounter with Zelena to acquire) to knock Emma out and carry her back to his ship. Then, they could go on with getting the help they needed to retrieve her memories. Not his most sophisticated plan, but it was the best one he had.

Now, he had danced with her in public, twice, making sure that he would be on the suspect list when the kingdom realized their golden Princess had disappeared. And if he couldn't trigger her memory—

"Worried I wouldn't show?" Emma's voice asked. Killian's tense shoulders instantly relaxed. He slipped out of his worried posture and with an effort regained his charming grin.

"To be fair, I did consider merely going to bed." She was a vision in her red dress and tiara basked in moonlight.

"Well, I'm very glad you didn't," Killian said honorably, still looking her up and down. Propriety and convention be damned, there was no one here to chastise him or pretend for.

Emma's laugh was like a wind chime. Killian's hair stood up, he had never heard her sound so free. An uncomfortable weight settled in his chest.

"I have to admit, I'm not sure why you are so persistent when you know nothing about me, Captain Jones."

Didn't he though? He knew about her beginnings and how lonely she had been as an orphan in the foster care system. He knew how deeply Neal had scarred her when he left, and how painful it had been to give Henry away. He knew loss had been all too familiar in her life, which was why she constructed such a prickly demeanor to scare people away and protect herself. He knew how she liked her cocoa and what her lunch order was from Granny's. He knew how many freckles she had on her right hip and what it sounded like when she said "I love you."

"That is true, Princess," he said quietly. He didn't know much about _this_ Emma.

She winced again. "Emma, if you please, Captain."

"Emma." He let her name hang on his lips. "Then Killian will do just fine."

"Killian." She repeated quietly.

"Tell me something I don't know, Emma. Since there's so much to choose from."

Emma walked around the trunk of the apple tree. She was stalling, deciding if she should trust this strange Captain. When she circled back, she faced him with determined detachment. "My mother has lost hope that I'll ever marry. She said she was going to arrange a marriage for me."

Killian felt like he was punched squarely in the gut. He couldn't let that happen. Emma continued. "But she said this a week before my dad died and hasn't brought it up since. She has not laughed, smiled or held a full conversation with me since that night she found out." Killian figured this much to be the case; Mary Margaret and David were True Loves. But seeing the devastated look on Emma's face was heart-wrenching. The pendulum of guilt swung lower in his stomach.

 _He would still be alive if it weren't for you_ , the nasty voice in his head susurrated.

"I know how horrible grief can be, Emma." He put his hand on her shoulder. "I am truly sorry."

"Thank you," she said.

"I lost my parents and my elder brother. I understand the pain of death."

"You're alone?" she asked quietly.

 _I have you._ _I_ had _you._ "Aye."

Emma stepped closer and hugged him, burying her face in his neck. This Emma was careful, but so much more unrestricted with affection than the Emma he had fought to love. Probably because this Emma remembered a loving upbringing. He wrapped his arms around her and for a moment forgot that this reality was a farce. Would it be so bad to live in this peaceful kingdom, devoid of threats and monsters? If he could make Emma fall in love with him again, she could have the title she was born to fill, and he could love and support her without darkness interfering.

Emma pulled away. "I apologize for my forwardness, but I feel like I've met you before. You seem so familiar." Her small hand came forward to trace over his jawline and Killian clenched it to stop himself from pressing his lips into hers. "Do you often make port here?"

"Not for many years." He hadn't trusted himself to before this night, not before he had a plan.

Emma stepped backward from him, and her warmly curious face transformed. "I know you. I've seen you on posters in Queen Aurora's kingdom. You're wanted."

Emma reached forward and clutched his left hand. Her grasp was met with the unyielding wood of his prosthetic. "You're a pirate!"

Fuck. This was an unforeseen turn of events. He had to steal some ingredients from an apothecary in Aurora's kingdom several months ago to make the portal to get to Oz to get the poppy dust. Killian's life since he met Emma was one quest for an object to make a portal after another.

"Emma, I can explain," He reached out to grab her wrist but she pulled back.

"You've been lying to me! HELP!" Emma started shouting and Killian sighed. He quickly grasped the bag of poppy dust in his hand and blew it toward Emma's face. She stopped mid-scream and slumped into his arms.

She was not his Emma. And he needed to remember that.


End file.
